Sword Art Online to Get a Live Action Netflix Series

According to an interview from Collider with screenwriter and producer Laeta Kalogridis, the rights for a live action television adaptation of Kawahara Reki’s Sword Art Online have been sold to Netflix.

Kalogridis, who is well known for works like Shutter Island, Avatar and Terminator Genisys, is not only writing the script, but is also an executive producer. She emphasized in the interview that Kirito and Asuna would be played by actors of Asian descent and that the story would not lose its Japanese origins.

The live action series was first announced in 2016 by American production company Skydance Television, following a number of manga, anime and game adaptations of the original light novel series. The franchise’s success continued with a well-received film titled Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale, with a third anime season and spinoff anime also to be released in 2018.

Casting and story details for the series haven’t been announced yet, so keep an eye out for more information!